How to be a Fashion Revolutionary by Fashion Revolution

HOW TO BE A REVOLUTIONARYFASHION

SUPPORTED BY:

2 08Contents Intro 09 It’s time for a Fashion Revolution 12 The things we need to change 14 Cost breakdown of a T-shirt 24 A to Z Fashion Glossary 18 Fashion’s environmental impact 19 How long does it take clothes to decompose? 20 Fashion should become wasteless 22 Textile recycling in India 24 Transparency is Beautiful

3 30 How to be a Fashion Revolutionary 34 Be Curious 38 Find Out 42 Know your materials 44 Do Something 58 4 brands designing out waste 60 Sign and share the manifesto 62 More ways to get involved 64 Discover more 66 Contact

YOUR VOICE CHANGE #WHOMADEMYCLOTHES__________EVERYTHING#WHATSINMYCLOTHES#LOVEDCLOTHESLAST

VOICE #WHOMADEMYCLOTHES__________EVERYTHINGCAN#WHATSINMYCLOTHES#LOVEDCLOTHESLAST

fashionrevolution.org @ fash_rev BE CURIOUS. FIND OUT. DO SOMETHING 22nd — 29th April 2023

7 Calling all FashionIt’sindustrytoyourideasIt’sThissayTheTherevolutionaries!fashionpro-fashionprotesters.disruptorswhodareto“Icanchangetheworld.”bookisforyou.fullofinspirationandabouthowyoucanusevoiceandyourpowertransformthefashionasweknowit.timeforaRevolution.

What Rana Plaza did was to rub our noses in a dirty business that has been allowed to grow out of control. It has galvanised a generation to question how and where we spend our money, and completely rethink the contents of our wardrobes. Fashion Revolution’s one basic call to action in the aftermath of Rana Plaza was to ask “Who Made My Clothes?” It’s a question that has been asked far and wide.

Fashion Revolution was started in May 2013 as a reaction to the outrage that was the Rana Plaza factory disaster. Who could fail to be shocked by the industry’s worst ever industrial disaster?

We can all be revolutionaries.fashion

A global resistance movement has exploded and the brands are having to listen – and take action. Since 2013, thousands of brands have replied to the question, and 48% of the largest 250 brands have published first-tier manufacturer lists.

Like you, Fashion Revolution loves clothes. But we want our clothes to make us feel proud, to express who we are, to make us feel better about ourselves. We don’t want to feel guilty that our clothes have been made by machinists who are not paid enough to send their children to school and live in fear of reprisals if they join a union to stand up for their rights. We don’t want the cotton in our shirts to have been grown with pesticides that poison both the earth and the farmers who grow it.

“Eacheveryandone of us can make aIntroductiondifference”

seeing how the industry exploits three-dollar-a-day hands that make our clothes, we have become increasingly aware of how polluting the fashion industry is. We have seen our rivers stripped of fish and filled instead with microfibres, harmful chemicals and toxic waste. We have seen how much water it takes to grow cotton, and how many pesticides are required to grow conventional cotton. And yet we continue to produce (and buy) more jeans and t-shirts. Overproduction has become a huge issue, with recent revelations that brands – both luxury and high street – are routinely burning what they can’t sell.

So now more than ever, the question remains. Who Made My Clothes? Do you know? Do the brands themselves know? While some progress has been made, the industry that makes the jeans, t-shirts, pants, trainers and fleeces we all rely on to clothe us every day, is far from clean, and is still as exploitative of the world’s poorest people as ever. As we now know, the fashion supply chain is about as easy

What is clear – and encouraging – from the global engagement with Fashion Revolution’s campaign is that each and every one of us can make a difference. We all have a role to play if we want to demand a safer, fairer, cleaner industry.

In the following pages, we set out a range of ways you can make more informed choices about the clothes you buy, ways to inspire your friends, family and the rest of your community, steps you can take to engage with policy makers and brands, and how your everyday actions can create lasting improvements, to make an industry that we can feel proud to be part of and to invest Together,in.

Working conditions are improving and some wages are increasing too. In Bangladesh the minimum wage has risen to $96 per month for garment workers, but this is still far from a living wage. Brands continue to be in the dark about the working conditions and inhuman overtime at the factories that are subcontracted to make their clothes. And while brands may sign up to every accord going, set up recycling initiatives and pledge to use better cotton, when it comes to the crunch, they still want to make more clothes – and Ascheaper.wellas

we will – we must - make the change.

to untangle as a nest of vipers. And it’s not going to do it of its own accord.

We are

We believe that positive change can happen if we all think differently about fashion and demand better. We want a cleaner, safer, fairer, more transparent and more accountable fashion and textiles industry.

RFashionevolutionWe’reheretotelladifferentstoryabouttheclotheswewear.

We want fashion to become a force for good. We believe in an industry that values people, the environment, creativity and profit in equal measure.

11 We are designers, academics, writers, business leaders, policymakers, brands, retailers, marketers, producers, makers, workers, trade unions and fashion lovers. We are the industry and we are the public. We are world citizens. We are you.

IfMindsetwewant to see fashion become a force for good, we’re going to have to change the way we think about what we wear and why we wear it. We need to love our clothes more. We need to look at them as precious heirlooms and as trusted friends.

FashionModel is now one of the most globalised industries. A single product may span multiple continents before reaching the shop floor. We need to rethink how the industry works. We need to rethink the model.

The things we need to change

FashionMaterial has a huge, and often negative, social and environmental impact. The production of clothing and the way we take care of our clothes after we buy them uses up a lot of land, water, energy, chemicals, and produces too much waste.

12The

Materials, Models and Mindsets framework was created by Prof. Rebecca Earley and Dr. Kate Goldsworthy.

14 Retail costs Retailer’s own staff, rent, tax and so on. Brand margin Brands' staff, rent, mark-up and profit margin Manufacturing costs Materials cost, direct labour cost and manufacturing overhead Labour What is paid to workers Cost breakdown of a sample €29 t-shirt PriceRetail €29 Wholesale €12 FOB €5 06 07 08 MarkupRetail €17 MarginBrand €3.61 AgentFee €1.20 FactoryMargin €1.15 Transport €2.19 Overhead €0.27 Labour €0.18CostsManufacturing €3.40 020101 02 03 03 04 04 05

15 If garment workers were paid a living wage, how much more would you pay for the same t-shirt? Factory margin Other costs not directly part of the garment FOB (Freight on board) The total paid to a factory for a t-shirt Wholesale The price a store pays for a t-shirt before they sell it on to customers Retail price What consumers pay for the t-shirt CHANGE IN RETAIL PRICE +€1.57 HIGHLIGHTSTEXTRED!COSTININCREASEAN * Based on Asia Floor Wage benchmark Data from Fair Wear Foundation PriceRetail €30.57 Wholesale €12.66 FOB €5.36 06 07 08 06 07 0805RetailMarkup €17.91 MarginBrand €3.85 AgentFee €1.26 FactoryMargin €1.24 Transport €2.19 Overhead €0.27 Labour €0.45CostsManufacturing €3.40 030201 04 05

P Q R

DUE DILIGENCE

RELATIONSINDUSTRIAL

PRACTICESPURCHASING

CONSUMERISMRESPONSIBLE

A GLOSSARY OF INDUSTRY LINGO

is a process through which impacts.reducethentheonassessescompaniestheirimpactshumanrightsandenvironmentandtakeactionstoanynegative

JOIN A UNION

require companies to act in ways that protect workers and the oftentheyaccountablecompaniesandGovernmentsenvironment.canshouldholdlegallyforhowbehave,buttheydon't.

I DJ

a union is industry’stowork.protectsworkerwhichuporganisationanmadeofemployeeslooksafterinterestsandtheirrightsatUnionsarekeysolvingthefashionproblems.

AUDITING

often involve shortterm contracts, forenabletolast-minutecheappressurecommunications,badtodeliverpricesandchangesorders.Thesebadconditionsworkers.

is not paying a living wage for someone’s work. It may also involve practices such as physical intimidation, child labour, forced overtime, restricted movement and limiting unions.

BARGAININGCOLLECTIVE

refers to negotiations among workforce.areindustrialconditions.andbusinessgovernmentsmanagersworkers,andonperformanceworkingGoodrelationskeytoahappy

AATO

HEALTHOCCUPATIONAL&SAFETY

refers to the safety, health and welfare of people at work. Many of the people who make our clothes work in dirty, dangerous and exhausting conditions.

QUICK LEAD TIMES

is the process of reviewing a company's finances, conditions.toandriskspractices.environmentalconditions,workingandItuncoverstoworkers'safetyopportunitiesimproveworking REGULATIONSBINDING

is a process where employers and unions negotiate to determine fair wages and working conditions.

refers to how long it takes to go from design to final product. A typical lead time has gone from 6 months to a couple weeks, which can increase risk of poor working conditions.

over 80% of garment workers are women who tend to be stuck in low skill, low pay jobs. Education, training and unions are key to enabling women to negotiate better conditions.

WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT

is intentionally buying goods or services that have minimal to no harmful impacts on humans, animals, or on the environment. It’s voting with your $.

EXPLOITATION

16 W X

is the lowest wage rate set by the government at which companies are legally required to pay workers. In developing countries this is often set at the UN poverty level5, which is US $1.90/day.

KIDS AT WORK

K L M N E F G H

VALUE CHAIN

ZERO-HOUR CONTRACTS are contracts in which employers are not obliged to provide a set number of working hours each week and consequently do not have to provide social protections.

refers to all the steps it takes to produce and sell a product, from farm to closet.

is the failure to act in accordance with the law, regulation or a company’s code of conduct when it comes to social or environmental issues.

is the process of reusing materials in a way that increases a product’s value and makes it desirable again, garmentssavingfrom going to landfill.

child labour is work that deprives kids of their childhood, their life potential and dignity. Estimates say there are 168 million child labourers3

LIVING WAGE

FORCED LABOUR is when people are forced to work against their will or by threat of force or forcedmillionEstimatespunishment.say21peoplearetowork4,manyofwhichareinthecottonandgarmentindustries.

NON-COMPLIANCE

MECHANISMGRIEVANCE

is a wage a worker earns in a standard working week that is enough to provide for them and their family's basic needs - including food, housing, healthcare.educationclothing,and

ETHICAL TRADE means productspeopleconditionsimprovingenvironmentfortakeandretailers,thatbrandstheirsuppliersresponsibilityprotectingtheandtheworkingofthewhomakethetheysell.

UPCYCLING

YOUR VOICE

HOMEWORKER is someone mostlyHomeworkersanproducebyisworkssubcontracted,who’sathomeandcommonlypaideachpiecetheyratherthanhourlywage.arefemale.

TRANSPARENCY means companies know who make their clothes, where they are made and under what conditions, and they share this information with the public.

17 Y Z

PROTECTIONSOCIAL

has the power to make a positive difference. Ask questions. Tell the brands you shop from and your local policymakers that you want cleaner, safer and fairer fashion.

includes access to health care and income security such as sick pay, injury pay, parental leave, pension, subsidised food or housing.

S U VT

is a complaint process that can be used by workers, allowing them to voice concerns about fearconditionsworkingwithoutofpunishment or retribution.

MINIMUM WAGE

ZINE #003: ENVIRONMENTFASHIONCHANGE PAY YOUWHATCAN www.fashionrevolution.org/fashion-revolution-fanzine-library GET YOURS:

@victoria.hartleyHartleyVicybyliedirkx.eu@liedirkxDirkxLieIllustration:Research:

how long does it take clothes to decompose in landfill?

WASTE IN FASHION CAN BE REDESIGNED AND MINIMISED. IT CAN BE A MASSIVE PROBLEM OR COULD BE AN UNTAPPED NEVER-ENDING RESOURCE . AS LONG AS THERE ARE CLOTHES BEING MADE, THERE WILL BE OFF-CUTS. AS LONG AS WE WILL BE WEARING CLOTHES, WE WILL LEAVE A TRAIL OF OUR UNWANTED PIECES. SO LET’S INVEST IN CREATIVE DESIGN SOLUTIONS, WASTE CUTTING SKILLS AND TECHNIQUES, RECYCLING INNOVATION IN PRODUCTION AND END-OF-LIFE DISPOSAL. BRANDS AND CONSUMERS ALIKE: WE MUST DISCOVER WAYS TO ACT ON OUR SURPLUS, BEFORE IT BECOMES WASTE.

Used winter clothing can be hard to sell into global re-use markets, which either have hotter climates (sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia) or customers who value only high quality, branded garments (Eastern Europe, Russia). The Indian textile recycling industry imports coats, jackets and jumpers to shred them and reclaim their fibres. The fibres can be spun into recycled yarns. These are then woven into cheap blankets, shawls and even fabric for new garments. But these are prime examples of down-cycling, where poor-quality recycled materials mean that products often don’t last long.

PHOTOGRAPHY: © Tim Mitchell and Lucy www.timmitchell.co.ukNorris

DOCUMENTARY: ‘Unravel’ (dir. Meghna Gupta clothingplace-of-your-cast-off-this-is-the-final-resting-https://aeon.co/videos/2012)

inRecyclingTextileIndia

Profits in this global second-hand trade have depended upon brokers in the middle connecting dealers, while those at either end know very little about the system as a whole. The workers who sort, prepare and shred the used clothing regard it as a resource upon which their livelihood depends, but working conditions in the recycling factories are often poor and unregulated. While expensive new technologies are promising to transform the landscape of textile recycling in the global north, will these marginal industries in the global south be incorporated into reconfigured recycling economies in such a way as to ensure that they are transparent, equitable, and sustainable?

RESEARCH : Dr Lucy Norris. Dr Lucy Norris, a Visiting Fellow at EnvironmentTextilesDesign (TED), University of the Arts London, and anthropologist currently circularconceptssustainableexploringdesignforemergingeconomies.

The economic, social and geographical distance between disposer and recycler means that they know little about each others’ lives, and reveals cultural differences around the value of clothing. Indian families tend to use and reuse cloth until it literally falls apart, and clothing is never simply thrown away. The film Unravel shows sorters at a processing factory wondering how the huge piles of nearly-new clothing can be simply discarded, imagining that there must be a water shortage abroad, and that it is cheaper to give them away than wash them.

Reshma, who is a sorter, reflects on the situation with both wonder and pity at the lifestyles she imagines women in richer countries enjoy — free to wear want they want and then discard it so easily. But her husband concludes, “you tend to get dressed for other people… but at the end of the day you’ll be as beautiful as God made you. All people have a natural beauty.”

By Lucy Norris

6 Women prepare the clothing for shredding by hand.

3 The UK is one of the largest global exporters of used textiles, but clothing is often re-sorted in import/export hubs before reaching its final destination.

5 India imports over 100,000 tonnes of used clothing a year to supply its textile recycling industry.

1 Textile recyclers sort used clothing into over 400 categories.

2 Clothing is compressed into bales weighing up to 1000kg each.

4 Used clothing is exported to sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, Eastern Europe and Russia for re-use and recycling.

accountabilitytransparencychange

That’s why transparency is essential. Transparency means companies know who makes their clothes – at least where they are stitched as a first step – and communicate this to their customers, shareholders and staff.

And it’s not just brands and retailers. There are lots of middle-men involved too – wholesalers, agents, supply chain managers, and distributors. These are important and profitable parts of the industry that the public doesn’t really see.

WHY WE NEED TRANSPARENCY

This is what Fashion Revolution is asking for. Knowledge, information, honesty.

25 WhosimpleAndtransformthingshonesty.Knowledge,isTransparencybeautifulinformation,Thesethreehavethepowertotheindustry.itstartswithonequestion:mademyclothes?THESITUATIONNOW:BRANDSDON’TEVENKNOWWHOMAKESTHEIRCLOTHES.

Lack of transparency costs lives. It’s impossible for companies to make sure human rights are respected and that environmental practices are sound without knowing where their products are made.

Too many fashion brands do not know in which factories their products are made and very few brands know where things like zippers, buttons, thread and even the fabric comes from.

HOW TRANSPARENT ARE THE 250 FASHIONFASHIONBIGGESTBRANDS?TRANSPARENCYINDEX2022 www.fashionrevolution.org/about/transparency

27 THEARETRANSPARENTHOW BRANDS?FASHIONGLOBALBIGGEST250 TRANSPARENCY brands17 0%score(7%) yearthis scoreAverage 24%is brands3Only higherscore 70%than singleaNot scoresbrand 80%above NO.OFBRANDS 81-9071-8021-3051-606-1041-500-591-10011-2061-7031-40 406070 203050 10 (%)SCOREFINAL

28 BRANDSDOINFORMATIONMUCHHOW SUPPLIERS?THEIRABOUTSHARE arebrandsof48% listssupplierpublishing 1)tierleastatcovers(which publishbrandsof32% facilitiesprocessingtheir dyed,areclotheswhere finishedandprinted brandsof12%onlyBut aleastatpublishingare theirofselectionsmall materialrawofsuppliers

HOW MANY PARTICIPATEDBRANDSTHIS YEAR?62% of completedbrands questionnairea 37% did not respond 1% declined participateopportunitytheto

HOW TO BE REVOLUFASHIONA-TIONARY

You re-shape the fashion industry every time you find stories about your clothes, talk about them with others, share them online, and discuss what’s right and wrong about them. What you think, say and do changes fashion.

How you can RevolutionaryabecomeFashion

You hold the power to influence the kind of world you want live in and that you want for others. Your words and where you put your money matters. It sends a signal about what you believe in.

It just takes three simple steps...

You re-shape the fashion industry – the lives of its producers, its workers – every time you buy or dispose of clothing.

IS THE PERSON WHO MADE YOUR CLOTHES PAID A LIVING WAGE? BE #WHOMADEMYCLOTHESCURIOUS

LookCURIOUSBEatyourclothes with different eyes. Ask more than “does this look great on me?”. Ask “who made my clothes?”. 34

LOOK AT THE LABEL

Where did the materials come from? Where were they made? What’s it like to work there? What kind of people are involved? What are their lives like? Being interested in the answers to these kinds of questions is the best first step towards changing the story for the people who make our clothes.

But your label won’t tell you where in the world the cotton was farmed, where the fibre was spun into a yarn, where the yarn was woven into a fabric, where it was dyed and printed. It won’t tell you where the thread, dyes, zips, buttons, beading or other features came from.

GET THINKING

TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR CLOTHES

Your label will tell you in which country your clothing was made – so you’ll know that the people who stitched it together live in Bangladesh, Cambodia or Romania, for example. The label will also tell you what materials have been used, such as cotton or polyester.

Fashion Revolution calls on all of us to be curious about our clothes. You can start by simply turning an item of clothing inside out to look at the stitching. Notice its wavy seams, and where the loose ends of the threads have been cut off. These are all traces of the work done by the people who made your clothes.

Global garment and textile supply chains are long, complex and opaque. We demand justice for the people at every stage of the production process. This includes people who make the fabrics in our clothes. Use your social media channels to ask brands #WhoMadeMyFabric, encouraging them to disclose their textile production sites and take accountability for the working conditions of the people that spin, weave and dye their fabrics.

Ask brands #WhoMadeMyFabric and #WhoMadeMyClothes on social media

Email a brand tool

DO SOMETHING

Download a poster

TakeOUTFINDastep further. Get to know your clothes even better.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

HOW TO BECOME A DETECTIVEFASHION

And before you buy something, inform yourself about it. If you feel unsure, think about the alternatives. Could you buy the same thing second hand? Is there an ethically, sustainably made alternative? Do you really need it? If we think a little more before we buy, we can change the world one outfit at a time.

What are you wearing as you read this now? Have you got 30 minutes to investigate it online? What could you uncover? Reconstruct the story of your clothes by investigating blogs, online encyclopedias, corporate, NGO and news websites.

Good On You helps you choose brands that have a positive impact while you’re out shopping. Not My Style tells you how transparent your favourite brands are about their supply chain (currently only available in London). Faer provides information on how and where a brand produces its clothes, and information about fabrics and dyes used. These apps can help tell you the social or environmental impact of the products you buy.

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

There are loads of organisations that focus on specific issues like fair wages, toxic chemicals and child labour. There’s a list at the end of this booklet. Find out what they’re doing on these issues. Visit their websites, read their reports, attend their events. You’ll be an expert before you know it.

The FTI focuses on five areas: Policy & Governance;Commitments;Traceability; Know, Show, Fix; and Spotlight Issues. 2018’s spotlight issues were Women, Workers and Waste. There’s still so much work to do. Only 10 brands scored higher than 50%.

HOW TO USE THE FASHION TRANSPARENCY INDEX

We believe transparency is the first step to transform the industry. And it starts with one simple question: Who made my clothes? When we are equipped with credible information about the human and environmental impacts of the clothes we buy, we are able to make more informed shopping choices. As a result, transparency builds trust in the brands we buy.

TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT CLOTHESYOUR

Why not look at how your favourite brands scored here. And don’t forget to let brands know how you feel about their FTI rating, attentionlouder#whomademyclothesusing–theourvoicethemorebrandswillpay!

The 2018 Fashion Transparency Index reviews and ranks 150 of the biggest global fashion and apparel brands and retailers according to how much information they disclose about their suppliers, supply chain policies and practices, and social and environmental impact.

W HO MADE MY CLOTHES?

DRYING

Love your clothes for longer by understanding how best to wash and care for various types of fabrics. Here’s a quick guide to get you started.

COTTON

Denim is a very durable material and should last you a long while. First check if you can you pass along your pre-loved denim to a friend. When you decide it’s time to part with your denim, it’s possible that it can be reused or recycled or down-cycled. For example, Blue Jeans Go Green turns denim that can’t be re-worn into building insulation, keeping it out of landfill for a while.53

Wool is a yarn that is created from the fleece of animals such as sheep, goats, llamas or camelids. Individual wool fibres attach together when spun to create yarn, which is then used to create garments.54 Wool retains warmth well and is naturally stain and wrinkle resistant and absorbent, which makes it easy to dye.55

CASHMERE, ANIMAL HAIRS

WASHIN G

DISPOSE

Denim was invented in 1873 by Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss.50 Denim is cotton-based, and can be woven with other fibres to add elements denim traditionally lacks, such as elastane to add stretch. Jeans are the most popular denim product with 1.24 billion pairs sold annually.51

STORE

Moths love woollens and often leave big holes in clothes. Moths don’t like light so regularly worn items are less likely to end up with holes than those

DENIMWOOL,

DISPOSE

Cotton accounts for 40% of global textile production47 and supports the livelihoods of an estimated 300 million people across the world. It is woven from the fluffy ball of pale soft fibres that encase the seeds of the cotton plant.

WASHIN G

Cotton is best dried flat or hang-dried to prevent the need for ironing. If an item requires ironing then best to do so whilst slightly damp or use a steam setting.48

Dry the garment flat and placed in its normal shape. If you handwashed the garment, place the damp garment flat on a clean towel, roll the towel up and squeeze out excess water.

Always close zips or buttons and turn your denim garment inside out before washing. If your jeans aren’t dirty, don’t wash them, freeze them! Try popping your denim garments in a bag and put them in the freezer to get rid of germs and freshen them up. If you absolutely have to wash them, do so at 30°C.

WASHIN G

DRYING

Cotton is a natural fibre and if non-dyed or vegetable-dyed can potentially be composted. But this is rarely the case with typical cotton garments, unless certified ‘organic’. It is also possible to recycle cotton. If your garment is beyond wearable and can’t be composted, then take it to the nearest textile recycling bin. If nothing else, old cotton clothes or home textiles can make useful cleaning rags.49

Like denim, animal hairs should only be washed when absolutely needed. Always use a detergent designed for woollens and wash on a gentle cycle or hand wash.56

DRYING

DISPOSE

left in Puttingstorage.cedarwood balls in your wardrobe can help keep them away, or store your woollens in sealed cotton bags as moths don’t like cotton. Put wool lens in the freezer for 24 hours, take out and bring up to room temperature, and repeat once again to get rid of moths.57

When drying denim, flatten the garment into shape then hang-dry or dry flat. This prevents, or at least reduces, the need to iron the garment.52

Natural fibres can be prone to shrinkage so always wash on a cool wash (max 30°C) or in lukewarm water.

First, try swapping with a friend as woollen clothes can often have a long lifespan. Otherwise, pure, un-dyed or vegetable-dyed animal fibres can be composted, as long as the garment doesn’t contain any synthetic fibres or dyes (check the label). If in decent condition, your local charity shop may also accept it.

DISPOSE

If you must get rid of your synthetic garment, bring it to your local textile recycling collection point for reuse, recycling or down-cycling. For now, most synthetic fibres can not be recycled but some companies are developing technologies that will make this more possible in future. If 100% poly ester, check the label or contact the brand to find out how it can be recycled. Sounds obvious but never burn synthetic fabrics as it can release poisonous gases into the air.

WASHIN G

LYOCELL, MODAL

WASHIN G

Synthetic fibres are cheap to produce and offer increased durability and diversity of uses compared to many natural fibres. However, these fabrics are not environmentally friendly and can take hundreds of years to biodegrade.64

WASHIN G

DISPOSE

A fleece jacket may shed as many as 250,000 microfibres per wash, which can release toxins as they break down and poison the food chain once they reach the water supply.61 Wash your fleece garments with a Cora Ball62 or using Guppy Friend63 wash bag in order to prevent this from happening.

These semi-synthetic fibres derive from raw natural materials but are treated with chemical processes in order to create wearable textiles. Also known as ‘cellulosic fibres’.60

DISPOSE

These sorts of fabrics are not particularly prone to creasing and can be folded in drawers or stored hang ing in your wardrobe.

Rayon is prone to shrink age, so always lay flat to dry. Modal and lyocell are much more resilient and can be tumble dried if absolutely required.

ACRYLIC, NYLON, POLYESTER

It’s best to hang dry synthetic garments. They shouldn’t need long to dry. Never tumble dry synthetic fabrics as this weakens and damages the fibres quickly.

DRYING

Fleece is a fabric made from synthetic fibres and is designed to mimic the qualities of wool. Fleece is made from poly-ethylene terephthalate (PET aka plastic), this means that fleece can be made from recycled plastic bottles.

DISPOSE

Check the label. If prewashed, some silk items can be machine washed but always use the delicates setting or the silk specific programme and wash at 30°C or lower. For extra protection you should wash silk garments in a mesh bag.59 If hand washing, add 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar to 3.5 litres of water. This restores its shine. Submerge and soak before rinsing a number of times in fresh water.

Silk is a luxurious natural protein fibre produced by moth caterpillars in order to spin its cocoon. Mulberry silk worms feast on the leaves of least 3 trees to produce 3kg of silk. It’s a very strong fibre.58

Turn your clothes inside out before washing in the machine. If hand-washing, use 30°C temperature water with mild deter gent and skip the fabric softener. Avoid wringing out rayon (also called viscose) items as this can leave them misshapen.

STORE

Modal and lyocell fibres especially are very durable and should last you years if properly cared for. If no longer wanted, bring to your local textile recycling collection point for reuse or down-cycling.

DRYING

SILKRAYON,

and roll the towel up to get out excess water. Lay flat to dry in order to prevent too many creases. Never dry garments on a wooden rack, this can leave stains. Never dry using heat (i.e. on a radiator or in the tumble dryer), this can cause shrinkage or damage.

If properly cared for, silk garments should last a very long time. However if you no longer want your silk garment, you might try selling it on, gifting it to someone who will wear it or transforming it into another item you’ll use.

When machine washing clothes made from syn thetics fibres, wash them with a Cora Ball or using a Guppy Friend wash bag in order to prevent tiny microfibres from polluting the water supply.

FLEECE

Once clean, lay the damp garment flat on a towel

DRYING

WASHIN G

Fleece can potentially be recycled if 100% polyester, check the label or contact to the company to find out how. Fleece can also be down-cycled into building insulation. If in good condition, you might consider donating the item to charities that provide clothing to homeless people.

Avoid tumble drying and ironing fleece. Heat and friction will cause the tiny plastic fibres that make up fleece to melt. Lay flat to dry and prevent creasing.

revolutionaryBecomingSOMETHINGDOafashioncanbe as simple as tweaking the way your shop, use and dispose of your clothing.

The Investment Buy is the opposite of the cheap haul. It’s all about saving money to buy that one special piece, a ‘good friend’ as Joan Crawford said. Buy one good one instead of three cheap ones. It’s all about buying with care and loving it for longer.

One great way to invest is to discover a new designer and become a loyal customer. Doing so means you’ll be involved in all aspects of a fashion start-up, from invitations to special sample sales and pop up shops, to huge discounts on bespoke pieces. There are thousands of young emerging designers all over the world working sustainably who are waiting to be discovered.

GO ARTISANAL

FisherEileen

We are buying more and wearing it less. In the last 15 years, the number of times we wear a garment before throwing it away or recycling it has decreased by 36%. In China, that figure is a whopping 70%. Reverse the trend: Buy less and wear it more!

How many times do we buy just because we can, because it’s so cheap? But if something seems impossibly cheap, a bargain too good to be true, it probably is. Question ‘why?’.

KnitJonesKaitie

BUY LESS

CHAMPION NEW DESIGNERS

BUY BETTER, BUY SUCCESS.INVESTLESS.IN

ASK WHY?

weavershatPachacuti

BUY BETTER

Look for unique artisanal crafts when you’re shopping and you could be supporting the livelihoods of an entire community somewhere in the world, empowering the women who made it.

46 Is it fair that clothing companies that make billions pay poverty wages? YES NO

Wearing good clothes means the people who made them receive fair pay for their work. But right now, the majority of textile and garment workers cannot afford to live in decent housing, eat healthy food or go to the doctor. They even struggle to send their kids to school. A living wage is not a luxury, it is a fundamental human right.

Sign your name now

Demand a living wage for the people who make our clothes.

Help us get to one million signatures for #GoodClothesFairPay

47 DO SOMETHING

We demand laws that protect the human right to fair pay. We want to see a living wage for the people who make our clothes around the world. The EU has the power to change this.

One of the best ways to show solidarity with the people working in fashion supply chains and take action to push for tougher legislation that supports them is by directly emailing your local policymaker. Use our handy template to send an email directly into the inbox of your elected representative.

Write an email to your policymaker and ask #WhoPaysLivingWages?them

DO SOMETHING

Dear _______ [Policymaker],

Whopolicymaker@makingpolicies.govpayslivingwages?

I am your constituent and I care about the people who make my clothes. It is important to me that fashion companies pay their garment and textile workers a living wage and that policymakers hold them accountable.

I would like you to tell me what you are doing to address the lack of living wages in the fashion industry.

YOURSincerely,NAME

Fashon Revolution’s 2021 Fashion Transparency Index found that only 1% of the world’s largest fashion brands and retailers publish the number of workers in their supply chain being paid a living wage. Only 4% publish a time-bound roadmap to acheive living wages.

Right now, the majority of textile and garment workers cannot afford to live in decent housing, eat healthy food or go to the doctor. They even struggle to send their kids to school. A living wage is not a luxury, it is a fundamental human right.

Make it easy for citizens to reuse and repair clothes and shoes.

Pass “extended producer responsibility” legislation so that businesses are accountable for the textile waste they create.

LOCAL AUTHORITY TO TAKE

GOVERNMENTTOACTIONSASKYOUR OR

Provide more information for citizens on reusing, repairing and recycling used clothing and textiles.

Make it easy for citizens to recycle used clothing and textiles.

Raise taxes on the use of virgin materials and issue penalties for creating textile waste. Cut taxes for using recycled materials and recycling clothing and textiles.

Invest in infrastructureresearch,and innovations to reduce clothing and textile waste and build circular economies.

22nd-29th April 2023 fashionrevolution.org @ fash_rev

SWAP ‘TIL YOU DROP

Hiring is new to the scene, but a great alternative if you can’t afford the latest designer wares. The global clothing rental market is estimated to be worth US $9.1million. Needless to say, you can hire celebrities’ gowns, post Hollywood party pieces, ex fashion photoshoot samples and a whole lot more. Why buy expensive stuff you might only wear once when you can hire it?

If you’re sick of your wardrobe and in need of a fashion fix, then you could swap clothes with your friends. Go to a big swishing event, host your own swishing party or even swap your clothes online. Global Fashion Exchange will help you on your way.

PIECES.ANDSECONDSWAP.SWISH,BUYHANDVINTAGE

RENT,

Check out fashion rental websites Oprent (oprent.com), Wear the Walk (wearthewalk. co.uk) and Rent the Runway (renttherunway.com).

BUY VINTAGE

Stylists use it, celebrities swear by it, and it’s a sustainable way to buy. Vintage gives you personal style and means you’ll be reusing, repurposing and extending the life of beautiful clothes.

GO CHARITY SHOPPING

At the speed at which we consume right now, last season’s collections are in the charity shops in a matter of months. That means you can recreate your favourite looks, personalise them, and do your bit to stop perfectly good garments going to landfill.

YOU’RE HIRED

MEND, MAKE AND CUSTOMIZE

HAVE A GO

If you’ve fallen out of love with a piece of clothing, don’t throw it out, change it up. You can tailor clothes to a different shape, add new embellishments, dye it a different colour. You could turn it into something completely new, like a scarf or an accessory.

TAILOR AWAY

You can easily find places, physical and online, that will teach you amazing ways to customise, mend, transform and revitalise your clothes.

Not that you shouldn’t give your clothes to charity shops, you should! But consider more carefully where you choose to donate. For example, you might donate your clothes to help people get to back to work with organizations like Dress for Success or Career Wardrobe. Or you might look out for local clothing drives to help the homeless, refugees or people in crisis.

Why not think about making your own clothes? You’ll have to learn how to sew a little bit, but once you start, you’ll feel empowered to continue doing it. And then think about the possibilities!

FIX UP, LOOK SHARP

If something’s broken, fix it yourself or take it to a local tailor. A rip, a missing button or a stain should never stand in the way of you and a good outfit.

DONATE RESPONSIBLYCLOTHESYOUR

It’s great that you give your clothes to charity shops when you don’t want them anymore. But our unwanted second hand clothing is becoming a problem for some countries in the developing world. According to Oxfam, more than 70% of the clothes donated globally end up in Africa, which has destroyed the economy for local tailors.

This is for those who are a bit subversive. Make your own art about Fashion Revolution and paste it up around your city. Stage a cheeky public stunt. Organise a critical mass cycle ride. Host an alternative fashion show. Gentle forms of protest can make the strongest statements.

BE A CRAFTIVIST

FASH MOB

Get inspired by the drawings and visuals made by the graphics students of Central

Use craft as a tool for gentle protest. Join the Craftivist Collective and change the world, one stitch at a time.

DeanPercybyPhotography

Saint Martin’s who interpreted the issues surrounding the impact of the fashion industry on the environment for FASHION CHANGE ENVIRONMENT ZINE 003.

A Flash Mob assembles a group of people to make a public statement through performance. You could organise a “Fash-mob” to get people thinking about who makes their clothes.

GO YOURSELFEXPRESSSTYLEGUERRILLA

Use music, art, poetry or performance to inspire others to become Fashion Revolutionaries too. Check out the choreography in the award winning film Who Made My Clothes? directed by MJ Delaney.

YouTube vloggers, including Noodlerella, CutiePieMarzia and Bip Ling, share a better way to haul that’s fun and fabulous, from upcycling to swaps to finding gems in charity shops. Check out their #haulternative on Youtube and film your own. For more ideas, download our Haulternative pdf.

FIND THE #HAULTERNATIVE

GET INVOLVEDOTHERS

You don’t need to buy new clothes to enjoy a haul. Instead of the traditional fashion haul, where you go shopping and post a video of what you’ve bought, try a #haulternative; a way of refreshing your wardrobe without buying new clothes.

Why not host a film screening and gather some experts to lead a discussion.

There are also loads of schools and universities getting involved in Fashion Revolution too. Is there a Fashion Revolution team where you study? If not, start one. Become a Student Ambassador and represent your university for Fashion Revolution. orgeducation@fashionrevolutionEmail.toregisteryourinterest.

Find the #Haulternative

HOST A SCREENING

SEE IT BELIEVETOIT

There are some powerful films and documentaries about the fashion industry.

Watch pioneering designer Katharine Hamnett on how to write a postcard to a policymaker.

Governments have a part to play in helping fashion become a force for good. Politicians and policymakers can make a difference through laws and government policies and practices. And as citizens, it’s our job to tell politicians what kind of world we want to live in.

“this year I’m only going to buy secondhand clothes”

“this year I’m only going to buy what I absolutely need”

To learn how to fix a hole in a jumper, watch the tutorial by crochet queen, Orsola de Castro.

Make a simple promise or set yourself a challenge. Share it on social media and get your friends to join you. This should get you thinking more deeply about what you wear, why and how. It might even boost your style creativity.

MEET MAKERSTHE

would amplify this message. Write, call, tweet your local politicians and tell them what you want to know about your clothing. Lead a rally or a public demonstration. Tell them that you want more protection for both the people and the environment that the fashion industry depends on.

“i’m going to repair a piece of clothing every day”

WRITE TO POLICYMAKERSYOUR

MAKE STATEMENTA

Discover the real people who make your clothes. See their faces and hear their inspiring stories.

Find out what their lives are like and where they live. Visit the ‘Meet the Maker’ section on our blog to hear straight from the producers, garment workers

At Fashion Revolution, we’ve already been meeting with politicians at the United Nations and European Union to discuss how important it is that that the fashion industry is made safer, fairer and cleaner. The UK government is also investigating the impacts of fast fashion through its Environmental Audit ButCommittee.yourvoice

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD

and makers behind our clothes. Encourage your favourite brands to share stories from their makers www.fashionrevolution.org/blogtoo.

Centre for Circular Design www.circulardesign.org.uk

ECAP www.ecap.eu.com

WRAP www.wrap.org.uk

Zero Waste Europe www.zerowasteeurope.eu

JOIN CAMPAIGNSOTHER

There are hundreds of organisations focused on social and environmental issues in the fashion and textiles industry.

Get involved in their campaigns too. Find out who is doing what in your country and local area.

Listen to the 3-part podcast Who Made Your Clothes where we discuss the findings of the Garment Workers Diaries which documents the everyday lives and wages of garment workers in Bangladesh, Cambodia and India.

TRAID

Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute www.c2ccertified.org

Reverse Resources www.reverseresources.net www.traid.org.uk

Ellen MacArthur Foundation www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org Greenpeace detoxwww.greenpeace.org/international/act/

KEY ADDRESSINGORGANISATIONSFASHION WASTE

MISTRA Future Fashion www.mistrafuturefashion.com

OUTDESIGNINGTHATFASHIONBRANDSAREWASTE

NAME: Suave LOCATION: global.suavekenya.comKenya @suave_ke

NAME: Doodlage LOCATION: India www.doodlage.in @doodlageofficial

"We buy unwanted and unsellable clothing from traders at the biggest second hand market in Kenya. We source waste offcuts from big factories manufacturing clothes for export, and we also buy rejected, lower grade leather from local tanneries, materials that have been left behind by other buyers."

"With 40% of garment production being done in India, Bangladesh and China, these countries alone produce enough waste to be able to create 6 billion garments from just scraps and leftovers. These were some alarming stats that led us into creating a brand using fabric that would otherwise go into landfills."

CURATED BY: Sass Brown Author

Innovation.ofofFoundingMaterials”FromCutting“ReFashioned:ofEdgeClothingUpcycledandDeanDubaiInstituteDesignand

NAME: Bethany Williams

"Discarded fishing nets, post-consumer plastic bottles, worn-out tires, post-industrial cotton, and even used coffee grinds become our outerwear, swimsuits, sneakers and accessories. In order to ensure 100% transparency and provide the highest levels of quality, our team manages the full process from waste collection to recycling technologies, manufacture, design and retail."

LOCATION: United Kingdom foundfromweatraditionalalcoholprogrammeItalyalongside'Women"For@bethany_williams_londonbethany-williams.commymostrecentcollectionofChange'IhaveworkedSanPatrignanoinRimini,–aneducationandrehabilitationforpeoplewithdruganddependencythatteachesItaliancraftandfosterssenseofcommunity.Togetherdevelopedhand-woventextilesrecycledpackagingmaterialswithintheworkshop."

NAME: Ecoalf LOCATION: Spain ecoalf.com @ecoalf

We love fashion. But we don’t want our clothes to exploit people or destroy our planet. We demand radical, revolutionary change.

We are Fashion Revolution. We are designers, producers, makers, workers and consumers. We are academics, writers, business leaders, brands, retailers, trade unions and policymakers. We are the industry and the public.

We are world citizens. We are a movement and a community. We are you.

This is our dream...

#3#2#1

FASHIONMANIFESTOFORAREVOLUTION

Fashion provides dignified work, from conception to creation to catwalk. It does not enslave, endanger, exploit, overwork, harass, abuse or discriminate against anyone. Fashion liberates worker and wearer and empowers everyone to stand up for their rights.

Fashion provides fair and equal pay. It enriches the livelihood of everyone working across the industry, from farm to shop floor. Fashion lifts people out of poverty, creates thriving societies and fulfils aspiration.

Fashion gives people a voice, making it possible to speak up without fear, join together in unity without repression and negotiate for better conditions at work and across communities.

SIGN THE MANIFESTO

Join the call for a #FashionRevolution. Let us rise up together and turn this dream into reality! www.fashionrevolution.org/manifesto

Fashion respects culture and heritage. It fosters, celebrates and rewards skills and craftsmanship. It recognises creativity as its strongest asset. Fashion never appropriates without giving due credit or steals without permission. Fashion honours the artisan.

Fashion measures success by more than just sales and profits. Fashion places equal value on financial growth, human wellbeing and environmental sustainability.

Fashion lives to express, delight, reflect, protest, comfort, commiserate and share. Fashion never subjugates, denigrates, degrades, marginalises or compromises. Fashion celebrates life.

61 #4#5

#10

Fashion never unnecessarily destroys or discards but mindfully redesigns and recuperates in a circular way. Fashion is repaired, reused, recycled and upcycled. Our wardrobes and landfills do not overflow with clothes that are coveted but not cherished, bought but not kept.

Fashion is transparent and accountable. Fashion embraces clarity and does not hide behind complexity nor rely upon trade secrets to derive value. Anyone, anywhere can find out how, where, by whom and under what conditions their clothing is made.

Fashion conserves and restores the environment. It does not deplete precious resources, degrade our soil, pollute our air and water or harm our health. Fashion protects the welfare of all living things and safeguards our diverse ecosystems.

Fashion stands for solidarity, inclusiveness and democracy, regardless of race, class, gender, age, shape or ability. It champions diversity as crucial for success.

The Index is a tool to push and incentivise the world’s largest fashion brands to be more transparent about their social and environmental efforts.

Fashion Transparency Index

Take our online course

Fashion Revolution throughout the week. Sign up for our newsletter here.

‘Fashion’s Future and the Sustainable Development Goals’ gives you a solid understanding of why we need a Fashion Revolution.

Be kept up to date on all things

Find our social media assets, posters and campaign materials for Good Clothes, Fair Pay here.

More ways to get involved

Download campaign assets

Connect with our community of Fashion Revolutionaries in 92 countries across 6 continents for local events and activations.

Join the community and be part of the the global movement on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, Youtube and LinkedIn.

Educate yourself on current issues and get inspired with creative new ways to help push for positive change.

Garment Worker Diaries

Read our resources

Read first-hand about the lives of garment workers across the world, and explore the ways we can work together to change things for the better.

Find your country team

Andrewremaking-way-make-thingsmcdonough.com/writings/cradle-cradle-[2002]Brooks

Slow Fashion

Cradle to Cradle

Fixing Fashion: Rethinking the Way We Make, Market and Buy Our Clothes

Rise and Resist www.clarepress.com/book/[2018]

Wardrobe Crisis

The Story of Stuff

Sandy Black

Tansy Hoskins

Jonathanwww.ecofashiontalk.com/books[2013]Chapman

Stitched Up

Clarewornstories.com/[2014]Press

The Sustainable Fashion Handbook [2012]

of-use-post-growth-fashion/katefletcher.com/publications/books/craft-[2016]

Worn Stories

Michaelhandbookpublications/the-sustainable-fashion-www.sustainable-fashion.com/Braungart&WilliamMcDonough

Clarewww.safia-minney.com/books.html[2016]Press

Clothing Poverty

Safiastoryofstuff.org/book/[2010]Minney

Katewww.elizabethclinebooks.com/overdressed[2012]Fletcher

Refashioned

Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion

ElizabethEmpathy/Chapman/p/book/9780415732154Design-Objects-Experiences-and-www.routledge.com/Emotionally-Durable-[2005]Cline

Michaeltansyhoskins.org/my-books[2014]Lavergne

Emotionally Durable Design

Anniebuy-our-clothesrethinking-the-way-we-make-market-and-www.resilience.org/resources/fixing-fashion-[2015]Leonard

Lucyresults/?keyword=9781510723429www.skyhorsepublishing.com/search-[2016]Siegle

Sasspoverty-9781786997371www.bloomsbury.com/uk/clothing-[2015]Brown

Craft of Use: Post Growth Fashion

READINGmoreDiscoverLIST

To Die For: Is Fashion Wearing Out The World?

Emilyhtml?id=uHUTA7QwSf4C&redir_esc=ybooks.google.co.uk/books/about/To_Die_for.[2011]Spivack

Fashioneditioncircular-economy-a-wealth-of-flows-2nd-ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/the-Revolution Fashion Transparency Index

INSPIRATION

ECAP Sustainable Clothing Guide

WRAPwww.textiletoolbox.com/

Fashion Revolution posters, social media assets and downloads/www.fashionrevolution.org/resources/free-branding

Ellenwww.made-by.org/projects/ecap/MacArthurFoundation

FREE DOWNLOADS

For more inspiration, infographics and ideas, check out our Pinterest www.fashionrevolution.org/blog/Fashionwww.pinterest.com/fashrevglobalboardsRevolutionBlog

TEDcrossroads/publication/6969/fashion-at-the-www.greenpeace.org/international/

Love Your Clothes clothes-waste-preventionwww.wrap.org.uk/content/love-your-

After the Binge The Hangover

film-library/www.pinterest.com/fashrevglobal/

There are now Fashion Revolution teams in over 100 countries and you can get involved by attending events in your Followwww.fashionrevolution.org/eventsarea.yourcountry’sFacebookand Twitter pages to stay in touch with what’s happening.

OTHER KEY REPORTS AND RESOURCES

Greenpeacefashionrevolution.org/transparency

Greenpeacehangover/publication/6884/after-the-binge-the-www.greenpeace.org/international/

EVENTS

FILM LIBRARY

The Circular Economy: A Wealth of Flows

Fashion at the Crossroads

Textile Toolbox

do keep in touch, we’d love to hear and see what you do for Fashion Revolution: www.fashionrevolution.orgfashrevglobalfashionrevolution.orgfash_rev@Fash_Rev

SUPPORTED BY:

Please

And sign up for our newsletter where share the latest news, events and ways to get involved.

here,

AND THE BRITISH COUNCIL TEAM:

Orsola de Castro, Co-Founder

WITH THANKS TO THE FASHION REVOLUTION GLOBAL COORDINATION TEAM:

Heather Knight

Carry Somers, Founder

Ian TamsinSarahRoxanneMartineJocelynLucyCookSheaWhippleParryHoushmand-HowellDittyBlanchard

WRITTENCREDITS BY: Sarah Ditty Ian TamsinFuterraLauraCookHunterBlanchard

Kendall Robbins

Hannah Robinson Jacob de Munnik

68 Notes

MY____________________SHOWYOURLABELASKBRANDSWHOMADECLOTHES? FASHIONREVOLUTION.ORG#WHOMADEMYCLOTHES?@FASH_REVBECURIOUSFINDOUTDOSOMETHING